Button fastener setting machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

F. H. RIGHARDS.

BUTTON FASTBNER SETTING MACHINE.

No. 341,054. I Patented May 4, 1886.

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4 Sm D R A H O I Dru. H HL BUTTON PASTENER SETTING MAGHINE.

No. 341,054. Patented May 4, 1886.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. H. RICHARDS.

BUTTON PASTENBR SETTING'MAGHINE. No. 341,054. Ptented May 4, 1886.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

F. H. RICHARDS.

BUTTON FASTENER SETTING MACHINE.

No. 341,054. l Patented May 4, 1886. v

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N. PETERS. Phamulhngrnphur. wnshngmn. D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN BUTTON FASTENER COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONN.

BUTTON-FASTENER-SETTING MACH-INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,054, dated My 4,188e.

Application filed September 14, 1885. Serial No. 177,085. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RIcHARDs, a 'citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Springlield, in the county of Hampden, State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inButton-Fastener- Setting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in Io machinery especiallyadapted for setting or inserting into shoe uppers or fabric that kind ofbutton-fasteners known in the market as Kempshalls One-Prong-ButtonFastenerf7 and it is in the nature of an improvement on r 5 a machinefor the same purpose described in United States Patent No. 310,541,granted to me January 6, 1885.

The invention has for its Object to furnish a more convenient andeflicient machine of its 2o class, having button-feeding appliances, andit consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the speciiication,Figure 1 is a front 25 elevation of a machine embodying my improvements.Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, of the machine, drawn inprojection with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the machinefrom front to rear, 3o showing the parts at the beginning of thefastener-setting operation. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showingthe parts at alater stage of the operation.A Fig. 5 is a view similar toFigs. 3 and 4, buton a larger scale, showing 3 5 the parts at the closeof said operation. Fig. 6 Shows apart of Fig. 5, with thesetting-diereturning to its upper position. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section inline aa, Fig. 5. Fig 8 is a front view of the button-reservoir.- 4o 9 is anend view of the same as seen from the left hand in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is atop view of the reservoir. Fig. 11 is a rear view of the same. Figs. 12,13, and 14 are respectively sections in lines b c d, Fig. 8. Fig. 15 isa front 45 View of a modified construction of the reservoir. Fig. 1G isa top view of the same. Figs. 17, 18, and 19 are respectively sectionsin lines cfg, Fig. 15. Fig. 2O is a perspective View of the followershown in Figs. 15, 1G. Fig.

tical section in line t' i, Fig. 25.

Fig.

21 is a side view, on a reduced scale, of the 5o completebutton-fastener magazine. Fig. 22 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe magazine. Fig. 23 is a view of the front end of the same, which isat the left hand in Fig. 22. Fig. 24 is a side view of the front end,certain 5 5 parts being broken away to better exhibit its construction.Fig. 25 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 24. Fig. 26 is a Viewof the under side of the same parts. Fig. 27 is a section in line h.Fig. 22. Fig. 2S is a ver- 6e Fig. 29 is an edge view, and Fig. 30 aside view, of the de tent-latch. Fig. 31 is aside view, partially insection, of the rear part of the magazine with the fastener-receivinggroove turned to the upper side, ready to be filled with fasteners. Fig.32 is a view of the left-hand end of the part shown in Fig. 31. Fig. 33is a view the same as Fig. 31, except the groove is turned down. Fig. 34is an end view of the same 7o parts as shown in Fig. 33. Fig. 35 is anend View of the piston.

Similar eharactersdesignate like parts in all the gures.

The frame of this machine (designated by A) may be supported on a stand,B, such as shown, for instance, iu my application No.

173,779, led August 6, 1885, to which reference may be had for aparticular description. Said frame is formed with ways 3, one on 8oeither side, to receive a slide, S, which is in this instancebifurcated, having two sides, 4 5, one fitting into each way. This slideis operated by means of a pin or bolt, 6, which is fixed therein nearthe lower end of the sides, 8 5 passing through slots 7 in the sides offrame A. Bolt 6 carries a lever, L, situated within frame A, which leveris connected at its rear end, 8, to a treadle-rod, T, that` is drawndown by a treadle or other device, (not 9o shown,) and is pulled up byspring 19, as well shown in Fig. 5. These means for operating said leverL, I have adopted for machines to be operated by foot-power; but thereare other well-known devices equally suitable for operating it by handor steam power. On the front of the frame is fitted the driver D, heldin place by driver-cap 9. Said driver is aiiat piece of steel having avertically-reciprocating movement from the lowest position shown in Fig.4 (where it rests on stop-screw 2) to the upper one in Fig. 5. Abovedrivercap 9 there is another one, which I call the driver-channel cap.77This is designated by 11, and covers driver channel 10, through whichthe fasteners are forced up by said driver. Cap 11 may be a continuationof cap 9; but I prefer it made separate, as shown, as by this means itis more easily removed for gaining access to channel 10 and the adjacentparts. The driver is actuated by means of gearing between itself andlever L, consisting of a toothed rack, 12, riveted or otherwise iiXed tosaid driver and meshing with teeth 13 on said lever. Slide S has an arm,14, reaching forward about as far as the driverchannel. To this armthere is pivoted at 15 a swinging die-block, 16, held forward and upagainst said arm, as in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, by a spring, as 17. Underside,and near the extreme front end of the die-block, is formed theusual concave setting-die,E,which stands normally directly over channel10.

The object in supporting the die block as described is that it may actas a pawl to feed buttons down onto the fabric, as hereinafterexplained.

R designates the button-reservoir. This is a horizontal tube,one end ofwhich has ashort vertical guard, 20, (broken away,as in Fig. 1,)standing in front of die E and reaching down toward the fabric F onplate 11. Said tube is held in position by a bracket, 21, attached toframe A, and at its outer end has an opening, '22, through which it issupplied with buttons, these being put in by hand, while the follower 24is in the position shown by dotted lines 23 (see Fig. 8) outside of saidopening. Vhen in that position, the follower is locked there by the arm25 thereof being turned so as to rest on the end of tube R at one sideof the slot 26, which is made for the shanks 27 of buttons 23. These areshown by dotted lines in Figs. Sand 10. The tube having been filled, thefollower is unlocked and drawn forward by spring 30 (or otherwise)pushing along the buttons,as shown in Fig. 11, the'end button of the rowresting at 31 directly above the setting-die.

As above described, the buttons are put in the reservoir with theirshanks horizontal, the slot for them, 26,being on one side and straight.Said slot may, however, be a spiral one, as 32, Figs. 15 and 16, thebuttons being dropped with their shanks upward into the tube R throughopening 33, as shown at 34 in said igures. The saine follower will inpractice operate equally well with either style of reservoir.

In this machine the button-fasteners are supplied to driver-channel 10from a magazine, the principal part of which is designated by M, and hasa T-shaped slot, G, for receiving the fasteners. This magazine issupported in the machine, with its front end even with the rear side ofsaid channel 10, by means of a tube, 35, removably fixed in frame A, 36being a set-screw for holding said tube in place. It is consideredpreferable that said tube 35 should not extend to the driver-channel,and that another one, 37, lling the intervening space,is also removablyfixed (by screw 38 or otherwise) to the magazine M. Tube 37 has agroove, 39, which reaches about halfway around it and terminates ateither end with a hole, 40 41. A spring, 42, is attached to the frame,and has a thumb-piece, 43, or other means whereby it may be operated,and a stop, 44, which passes through a hole in the Y frame into groove39, or into holes 40 or 41.

By means of this spring-stop and the said holes the magazine may beunlocked and turned in tube 35 (these parts being freely fitted)from itsworking position in Figs. .33 and 34 to its filling position in Figs. 31and 32, and there again locked. This will be clear from the parts shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1. Groove G and tube 35 extend some distancerearward of frame A, (generally, as I have made the machine, aboutsiXinches,) and the tube has in its upper side a wide slot, 45, throughwhich the magazine may be filled with the fasteners 46, when said grooveG is on the upper side, as in Figs. 31 and 32. The magazine being illed,it is then turned, as above mentioned, tocarry the-fasteners to itsunder side, as shown at 47, Figs. 33 and 34.

It will be observed the rst effect of turning the magazine is to carrythe fasteners under the tube, and thus securely lock them into thegroove G; next they are inverted into proper position for feeding to thedriverchannel. This operation is readily performed by means of apiston,50, having a wing, 51, fitting groove G, and operated by a spring, 52,for pushing it forward, and a rod, 53, for drawingit back. Said rodhaving fixed thereon a handle, 54, whereby it is drawn back and turned,furnishes a means (acting through Wing 51) for turning the magazine.

For convenience in assembling the parts, magazine M is preferablydivided at 55, Fig. 22, the parts being screwed or otherwise removablyfastened together. The spring 52,

.acting on the piston,forces the fasteners along to the end of themagazine, as at 56, against the driver, when that is up, as in Fig. 5,and against plate 11 above the driver, when it is down, as in Fig. 4.

It is sometimes necessary or desirable in practice to remove themagazine while it is lled with fasteners, either to replace it withanother one containing a different size of fastener, to remove imperfectfasteners, or for some other reason.V In order to permit such removalwithout allowing the fasteners to tumble out of the front end of grooveG by gravity, or from the power of spring 52, I have provided adetent-latch, whose construction and operation is as follows: The frontend of the magazineM has made therein a vertical slot inclined to itsaxis, into which TOO IIO

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' endwise of the magazine.

slot a latch, as 60, is fitted to move freely The latch is forced out bya spring, as 61, Fig. 28, in this instance contained in a hole, 62,formed in the magazine. Said latch may be constructed to slide in itscontaining-slot, but I prefer to construct it to swing therein, becausein this case it is very simply held in proper position. The upper endhas a pin, 63,which lies in a notch, 64, formed in the topof magazine M,at right angles to the latch 60. XVhen assembling these parts, spring 61is put into thehole 62, thelatch is next put in place with its pin innotch 64, and the tube 87 is put on, holding all in place, as shownbestnby Fig. 28. The front upper corner, 65, of the latch strikesagainst the inside of said tube, thus acting as a stop to prevent thespring from throwing out too far the lower front corner,-66, of saidlatch. When the magazine is not set in the machine, the latch is thrownso far out as to stand partially across groove G,and thus act as a sortof closed door, (see Fig. 26,) to prevent (even against the power of thespring 52) any fasteners getting out; but when said magazine is put inworking position, as in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, corner 66 of the latch isforced back by the front surface of channel 10 sufficiently to re leasethe fasteners and allow them to pass out one by one into said channel.In practice the required movement of the latch may be lessened bybeveling it, as at 67.

rIhe above-described latch not only acts to retain the fasteners in themagazine when this is removed, but it acts also as a spring-stop toprevent them from accidentally working upward in channel 10. Said latchthus furnishes in a single part a substitute 'for the detentspring andthe spring-stop which I have de` scribed and claimed in anotherapplication, No. 176,598, filed September 9,1885, with the advantage inthis case that the latch holds back the fastener, not merely by thefriction due to a spring-pressure, but with the power of a wedge thateffectually blocks their passage. It should be noted, however, that theaction of the latch as a springstop is precisel y the same as thatdescribed in my said former application.

The operation of the several details of the machine will be readilyunderstood from the drawings and preceding description.

The general operation of the machine for attaching buttons to fabric isas follows: The several members of the mechanism standing as shown inFig. 3, the reservoir is lled with buttons and the magazine withbutton-fasteners in the manner hereinbefore described. The fabric F, towhich buttons are to be attached, is next placed in position overchannel 10, as in Fig. 5. The operator then draws' down rod T, whichfirst brings down slide S to its position in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5,during which stroke die-block 16 pushes a button from position 31 downback of guard 20 to position 71, where it rests on the fabric. On nowcontinuingthe motion of the treadle, pin

6 serves as a fulcrum, whereby lever L acts to raise driver D from itslower position in Fig. 4 to its upper one in Fig. 5. In making thisupward stroke said driver forces a fastener at 72 up through a channel,10, through fabric F and the shank of button 71, and its point intosetting-die E, bending its prong over into a hook in the usual man ner,firmly attaching the shank to said fabric. This result having beenaccomplished, the operator allows rod T to be drawn up by spring 19,thereby returning the several parts to their original positions, whenfollower 24C pushes another button into position 31, and piston 50another fastener into channel 10 at 72. During its upward stroke slide Scarries die-block 1G past the shank 27 of button 31, the said part 16swinging on its pivot in passing, as illustrated by Fig. 6. Ihus saiddieblock acts as a pawl to feed buttons -Irom the end of reservoir Rdown to the fabric, after .which they may be carried sidewise by theinserted fastener and from behind the guard. Having thus described myinvention,` I

claim- 1. In a button-fastenersetting machine, the

Vcombination of a framework having a driverchannel, substantially asdescribed, a slide having a movement in the direction of and carrying asettingdie over said channel, a

driver operating to force fasteners through said channel against saiddie, and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, .foroperating said driver and die, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a button-fastenersetting machine'having adriver-channel, 10, of a button-reservoir, substantially as described,presenting buttons above said channel, a movable part, as S, carrying asettingdie above said channel, and a laterally-mow able die-blockcarried on said movable part and operating as a pawl to feed buttonsfrom said reservoir down toward said channel, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination of tube R, having slot 26 and opening 22, andfollower 24, having arm 25, adapted to be turned to lock back saidfollower, as set forth.

4. The combination, in a machine having channel 10, of tube R, means,substantially as described, for pushing along buttons in said tube tothe end of said tube over said channel, guard 20, depending from saidend of the tub'e, and means, substantially as described, for feedingbuttons down against said guard, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a frame-work having channel 10, driver D, slide S,carrying a setting-die above said channel, and having pin 6, lever L,and gearing connecting said lever and driver, all operatingsubstantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a frame-work having a driver-channel, 10, magazineM, having groove G, latch 60, pivoted at one end to said IOO IIO

magazine and set inclined to said groove, and i a spring operating saidlatch, substantially as Set forth.

7. The combination of a frameworkhaving channel l0, magazine M, havinggroove G, latch 60, pivoted at one end to said magazine and set inclinedto said groove, and a spring operating said latch, substanti ally as setforth.

8. The combination, in a buttoirfastenersetting machine, of magazine M,grooved and slotted, substantially as described, latch 60, having pin 63fitting into a notch, 64, in said magazine, and tube 37, holding saidlatch in place, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination,in abutton-fastener-setting machine, of tube35,havinga fixed position,

and a slot, 45, on the upper side thereof, magazine M, having groove G,and means, substantially as described, for locking said magazine to haveand for turning it from having its slot first on the upper side and thenon the lower side, whereby the fasteners may be put into said groovepoints down and then inverted and locked therein, substantially as setforth.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

FRANK H. PIERPONT, WILBUR M. STONE.

